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As an exotic animal veterinarian, I\u2019m often confronted with the belief that anesthesia for exotic pets is highly risky. It\u2019s a belief founded in reality, but it\u2019s not an assured death sentence for the animal, especially if the medical team approaches the case with consideration.<\/p>\n
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Death during or shortly after anesthesia is termed \u201cperianesthetic mortality\u201d. A handful of studies have looked at perianesthetic mortality in exotic animals \u2013 small mammals (Sources 1 & 2<\/em>), <\/span>snakes (Source <\/em><\/span>3<\/em>)<\/span>, and birds (Sources 4 & 5<\/em>)<\/span>. Some of the repeated findings across these studies include the following:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To put some raw numbers o<\/span>n<\/span> the risk of <\/span>perianesthetic<\/span> mortality:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For comparison, the <\/span>perianesthetic<\/span> mortality risk for dogs (healthy and <\/span>sick<\/span> combined) was recently estimated in one publication at 0.69<\/span>% (Source 6<\/em>).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0So,<\/span> while the risk for exotic pets may not seem astronomically high, it is <\/span>higher<\/span> than for dogs.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So how do we minimize the risk to our patients? <\/span>I\u2019m<\/span> rather proud<\/span> of the <\/span>high standards<\/span> that AERC\u2019s Anesthesia and Avian & Exotic Medicine Departments have set for our exotic patients. Some of the foundational practices are as follows:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Communication is an essential part of a well-functioning team. Before each <\/span>pet\u2019s procedure<\/span>, <\/span>our Anesthesia team and our Avian & Exotic Medicine team<\/span> have a group discussion of <\/span>the p<\/span>et<\/span>\u2019s medical history, reason for anesthesia, proposed anesthetic drug protocols, instrumentation needs, and any <\/span>anticipated<\/span> complications. We make sure that our equipment is all <\/span>set up<\/span> and ready to go before we start<\/span>, and emergency drug doses are calculated and drawn up.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Anesthetized and intubated bearded dragon; an intraosseous catheter has been placed in the left tibia.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Intubation is the placement of a tube into the trachea<\/span> (windpipe)<\/span>. Doing so allows us to breathe for the p<\/span>e<\/span>t<\/span> which is <\/span>a big help<\/span> since anesthetic drugs often suppress the animal\u2019s breathing \u2013 which can lead to reduced oxygen delivery to the body and increases the risk of <\/span>perianesthetic<\/span> mortality. Our team is skilled at intubating everything<\/span> from macaws to budgies, leopard geckos to pythons, rabbits to<\/span> guinea pigs<\/span>. <\/span>Once the p<\/span>e<\/span>t is intubated, we connect them to a ventilator specially designed for smaller <\/span>animals<\/span>. We then <\/span>monitor<\/span> numerous<\/span> parameters to ensure that they <\/span>remain<\/span> stable throughout the procedure.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Anesthetized and intubated guinea pig; an intravenous catheter has been placed in the left cephalic vein.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n A constant rate infusion (CRI) is a constant flow of anesthetic drug into the patient\u2019s IV line \u2013 it allows for lower overall doses, and the ability to change the rate of infusion to increase or decrease the effects. Using multiple CRIs not only gives us intricate control over pets\u2019 anesthetic depth, but also the ability to increase pain control when needed.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, using CRIs requires placing IV catheters, so we do so in nearly every animal we anesthetize. We often place more than one IV catheter so we can use more CRIs! If the patient is too small or too sick for an IV catheter, we can place a catheter into a long bone (called an intraosseous or IO catheter), which functions in the same way, allowing us to give CRIs and fluids directly into the circulatory system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n W<\/span>hile exotic pet anesthesia IS <\/span>riskier<\/span> than it is for dogs, it may be less risky than you think. And know that our team is making every effort minimize the risk for your pet!\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you have questions or concerns about your pet\u2019s <\/span>procedure and <\/span>anesthesia plan, <\/span>always consult with<\/span> your pet\u2019s veterinary team.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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<\/p>\nMinimizing the Risks<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n1. F<\/span>ormulate a thorough plan for before, during, and after anesthesia<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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2. Intubate and mechanically ventilate as many patients as possible<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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3. Place IV catheters and make use of <\/span>constant rate infusions<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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